


Little love

by SockOwl



Category: IT (2017)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Anger, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Nobody is Dead, brief mentions of the other losers, they're like 15-16 here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-26
Updated: 2017-10-26
Packaged: 2019-01-23 11:59:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12506896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SockOwl/pseuds/SockOwl
Summary: Eddie looked down at his pristine white sneakers. His mother had bought them for him the other week, after he got a “nasty stain” on his blue ones. Really it was just a speck of dirt that probably could’ve been easily wiped off, but Sonia was having none of it. So here Eddie was, staring at his shoes and blushing like a sundried tomato.





	Little love

**Author's Note:**

> Please excuse any mistakes, it was a long time ago since I wrote in English.

There is little love, like the way you love a favourite sweater or a stuffed animal that followed you through your whole childhood. There is also big love, like the way Bill loves his little brother Georgie. Then there is out of this world love, like the way Eddie loves Richie.

Eddie would never tell Richie that he loved him, or at least harboured a crush big enough to impede his everyday life. It was embarrassing and shameful. It was wrong. You don’t fall in love with your best friend. Maybe you become best friends with your partner, but not the other way around.

It came sneaking up on Eddie slowly, like a wolf stalks it’s prey. When it pounced, Eddie was far too weak to defend himself. It left him speechless and numb, like his mind had just floated out of his body and soared into the sky. When Richie told him he looked cute with that blush on his face in a terrible Texas accent he just stood up and left.

\---------------

Weeks had followed where Eddie despised Richie, moving through a denial that he later realised was part of the five stages of grief. Of course his other friends noticed something was wrong and they kept asking if something happened. Did he fight with Richie? Did his mom finally convince him Richie was a bad influence? Did he just grow tired of Richie’s never ending rambles about anything and everything?

Eddie couldn’t explain his own feelings because that meant it was real. Right now he couldn’t handle real. Bill had invited them to a sleepover, just as usual, and Richie had taken it upon himself to annoy Eddie to death. He even had the guts to roll out his sleeping bag right beside him like the jerk he was. 

Eddie laid sleepless for most of the night, listening to the other’s soft snoring and deep breaths. It was hard being this close to Richie when he went to such great lengths to avoid him. He knew the other boy felt hurt by his avoidance, had heard him telling it loud and clear to Ben just the other day. But he masked it quite well behind jokes and silly voices, just like he always did.

“Bill?”, a small, trembling voice came from the doorway. Eddie turned and saw Georgie standing there, a teddy bear under his arm and tears on his cheeks. He sat up, nudging Bill awake at the same time the boy repeated his name a little louder but still as trembly.

“What is it?”, Bill grumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes with one hand.

“I had a bad dream.”, Georgie whispered. Bill sighed, and fresh tears gathered in the young boy’s eyes.

“C-come here.”, Bill said after a moment, pulling his blankets back and patting the mattress. “You can s-s-sleep h-here.”

Georgie tottered over, climbed into the bed and placed his teddy bear beside him gently.

“Good night, Eddie.”, he whispered when their eyes met.

“Good night, Georgie. Sleep well.”, Eddie whispered back and laid down again, turning over so young prying eyes wouldn’t see the tears in his own eyes. He could just about make out Richie’s unruly mop of hair in the dark of the room, and he wished he could curl up under his arm like Georgie had just done with Bill.

\---------------

As Eddie stood outside the cinema watching Richie get closer and closer dread filled him to the brim. Why the fuck did Richie have to be the first one to arrive? This was all a setup, he thought frantically, Richie was never on time. What time was it? How long had he even been waiting here? Was-

“I like your shoes.”, Richie said pensively when got close enough, like he was somehow afraid Eddie would turn the other way and run screaming. Considering how Eddie had treated the boy of his affections lately it wasn’t surprising.

Eddie looked down at his pristine white sneakers. His mother had bought them for him the other week, after he got a “nasty stain” on his blue ones. Really it was just a speck of dirt that probably could’ve been easily wiped off, but Sonia was having none of it. So here Eddie was, staring at his shoes and blushing like a sundried tomato, wishing their other friends would just show up to save him from himself.

“Thanks, Richie.”, he mumbled. “Where are the others?”

“Bev is visiting her aunt, Bill had to stay home with Georgie because he’s sick and his parents had to go out and do something, Mike has whatever with his farm as usual and Ben is probably in the library studying for that test. Did I miss someone? I’m surprised you’re actually here since I was coming.”

“You missed Stan…”, Eddie said, biting his lip nervously.

“Oh right, Stan couldn’t stand being here with just the two of us when the others cancelled. He told me to figure out what the fuck is wrong with us.”

The biting comment made Eddie flinch, he wasn’t used to Richie being that straight forward. He had learned as they grew up together that the taller boy had a major problem with expressing his own feelings about certain topics, despite his usually big and flappy mouth. Eddie supposed he had pushed him far past his breaking point by now.

“I’m sorry, I-”

“What are you even sorry about? You did nothing. That’s the goddamn problem, Eddie! You did _nothing_! Now would you please tell me what I did that was so horrible that you have been avoiding me like the plague for the last three months? Did I open my ugly mouth one too many times?! Was it the jokes about your mom? Just fucking tell me so I can move on with my life, with or without my best friend!”

“Richie, I can’t-”

“Can’t _what_?!”

“I can’t tell you!”, his voice broke and tears gathered in his eyes. “I _can’t tell_ you because you will _hate me_!”

“What?”, Richie’s face scrunched up as he scoffed. “Why would I hate you more than you hate me? Does it even matter to you?”

“Of course it matters to me!”, he protested, raising one hand to hit Richie but lowering it as quickly. “Fuck!”

“Fuck, indeed.”, Richie muttered, turning to walk away. “This is pointless. Bye.”

“No, _fuckhead_!”, Eddie roared, grabbing Richie’s arm and tugging him back. “You will listen to me, you dumb idiot! I can’t tell you because you will hate me but I’ll do it anyway! I’m in love with you!”

Richie stared, and stared, and Eddie shrunk under his gaze. Suddenly realising just how tall the other boy was he released his arm from his grip and took a step back, mouth hanging open in shock at his own outburst.

“Say something!”, he pleaded after a few seconds that might as well have lasted a year. 

“I don’t know what to say.”, Richie mumbled, turning back around and walking away.

\---------------

A scraping sound followed by a very distinct _“Oh, fucking shit!”_ woke Eddie up in the middle of the night. Bleary eyed from crying himself to sleep and barely conscious he sat up, squinting at his window. Just outside he noticed a crouching form he would recognise anywhere. He scrambled out of bed to let Richie in, hushing him harshly when he toppled over and slammed down on the floor. An intense moment followed where they both listened for any movement in the house, but the faint noise of Sonia snoring relaxed them both.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”, Eddie hissed, softly kicking the boy on the floor.

“I think I just told my mom I have a boyfriend.”, Richie whispered, eyes wide like a spooked owl. “Do I have a boyfriend?”

“How the fuck would I know?!”

“It would be you. You would be my boyfriend.”, Richie hastily stood, towering over Eddie’s small form. “Will you be my boyfriend?”

“Richie, you-”

Soft lips interrupted his planned scolding, and it was the sweetest feeling he had ever experienced. Richie’s hands found his waist and pulled him closer, Eddie’s knees going weak in the process. As their bodies molded together Eddie pulled back.

“What the fuck?”, it held no malice, but Eddie would be damned if he didn’t try to be mad at Richie for pulling something like this.

“Will you be my boyfriend?”, Richie repeated the question, warm breath hitting Eddie’s face and making him see stars.

“Yes. What the hell, Richie? Yeah.”

“Good. I had to think, I didn’t mean to hurt you earlier.”

“Does your brain even do that?”, Eddie barked out a laugh at his own question, looking away in shame. “Well, I’ve been an ass.”

“That you have, Eddie my dear. But I love you. And I forgive you.”

\---------------

Eddie put away his shoes carefully, tucking the laces inside and aligning them perfectly. They were just as white and clean as the first time Richie had seen them six months ago, and he was amazed by the fact. Though he figured if anyone could keep their shoes clean it would be Eddie. His own shoes were dirtier than the muddy sandbox in the park they had just gotten back from.

“I have this frame that’s never been used.”, Eddie said. “I wanted to put our picture inside it, is that alright?”

“Do whatever you want, Eds. It’s your picture.”, Richie chuckled with a shrug, following Eddie up the stairs to his room.

As they sat on the bed, Richie watching Eddie carefully frame their picture, he thought of how stupid they both were. Stan had said, when he found out about what had been going on, that they were both so stupid it was a miracle they even had brains. Then he knocked on Richie’s head and proclaimed it sounded hollow so he probably didn’t.

“I’m gonna put this right here, so I can be reminded every day of how ugly my boyfriend is compared to myself.”, Eddie explained, putting the now framed picture on his nightstand. 

Beverly had brought her polaroid camera to the park, snapping picture after picture and handing out the good ones to Richie and Eddie. The smaller boy had quickly picked a favourite, one where Richie was hugging Eddie from behind and laughed so hard his eyes were squinted into mere lines behind his glasses. Eddie was laughing too, but Richie thought he looked as beautiful as ever.

“I can take that, as long as I’m _your_ ugly boyfriend.”

“Always.”, Eddie murmured fondly and rested his head on Richie’s shoulder.

There is little love, like the way you love your favourite shoes or a framed picture. There is also big love, like the way Georgie loves his big brother Bill. Then there is out of this world love, like the way Richie loves Eddie.

**Author's Note:**

> i made myself cry writing this because I'm a sap so uhm
> 
> (I'm willing to take requests if anyone is interested! Write to me on tumblr @wingbrokenangel)


End file.
